Editorial
As public scrutiny mounts over President Prabowo’s 51 overseas trips, the administration’s defensive reaction has failed to mask a stark reality: the resulting diplomatic promises have yet to translate into real economic gains.
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures on May 28, 2026, during a joint press statement with President Prabowo Subianto at the Élysée Palace in Paris. (Reuters via Pool/Ludovic Marin)
President Prabowo Subianto’s active diplomacy, as manifested in more than 50 foreign trips over his first 19 months in office, is under heavy scrutiny. Unfortunately, the government’s response has failed to settle the grumbling, only sparked more questions and criticism.In his rebuttal to public censure of these frequent trips from Dino Patti Djalal, a widely respected veteran diplomat, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya regrettably made the matter personal. In a video statement released on Monday, he pointedly referred to Dino as a great diplomat who nevertheless served in government “for three months only”. He also taunted Dino, who was deputy foreign minister during the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, by claiming that Susilo had traveled with a much larger entourage.
